Process and apparatus for piecing the warp ends of a warp beam to the warp ends of another warp beam



W. FELTON Sept. 6, 1955 2,717,1 l 7 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PIECING THE WARP ENDS OF A WARP BEAM TO THE WARP ENDS OF ANOTHER WARP BEAM Filed June 6, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor William Felton Attorney Sept. 6, 1955 w. FELTON 2,717,117

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PIECING THE WARP ENDS OF A WARP BEAM TO THE WARP ENDS OF ANOTHER WARP BEAM Filed June 6, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor William Feller. ELM imnmf saw Atmrnmz Sept. 6, 1955 w FELTON 2,717,117

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PIECING THE WARP ENDS OF A WARP BEAM TO THE WARP ENDS OF ANOTHER WARP BEAM Filed June 6, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor William Fel/ton B United States Patent @fiiice PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR BIEGJNG THE E OEAMABB: BEAR 110 WARP ENDS- or ANOTHER WARP BEAM William Fawn, Bradfarja, nagiaaagsstgnar org one-half to David Cralitree & sofls Liniitdg Bfadford,England Application June 6, 1952, Serial No. 292,037 701m:- ems-4 9)- In order to practice a"' continuous length of fabric in a weavin loom iris customary; wlieri the war ends carried by one-warp be are used up, to connectlthe ends to the warpen'dsof' afull warpbeamso that there is no interruption in mewarp'enas-or thefabri'c', such Hitherto" it has been customary to as a carpet fabric. piece each preceding warfi-erid to each following warp end separately by hand by means of a particular kind of knot which isthe only"lei-rid entirely suitable-for a ca pet fabric and is calle'da sheet Bear-"or a becke't bend or a Single beiid anti is also Well known asand will hereinafter be referred to as a weavers knot. As there is usually a large iiun'iberof warp ends to' be pieced together" and the production or fabric is interrupted during piecing; the stoppage for piecing -the warp ends means a-considerabie retitieir in'- the output ofnamed 160p, 'th'en threading'a-difierentfwarp end of the other 'tieam niraugii each: entire fifs't narned loops and] thereupon tignrening eacn nuke-first named sis'ts iii of the warp ends" of the ene vvar' -tsean'r iintig'htened lean and an untightened- Poo iifeiiding lhr'iigl'l' the first through hie second named ldepand also d aw the threaded warp end through the; seeded: earned lea into a 160 5 ter and finall re tighten the remaining: mops,

The warp" ends are prereraar prepared beforehand for the piecing eperanon by having their extremi ies s'e'cpfed sideby sid in eraen sequence and spacing before" the startafi d at th'derid o'f thep'eaming or the" to tighten the remaining lbe s, alt so aste produce weavers more which knot the warp" ends of the two beams together.

Inone example,- all of the warpends' of a full- Warp" beam are simultaneously held attwo places whilst each of. thefri is manipulated simulthrieouslyw-ith theothers pfi comb premiere a first and seeoad mopexrenumg wa p eam aiitl draw me: said ends toproduce' thereonaclosed but untightened slip loop with a second unt'ig htened slip loop extending through it. Thelast portion of each warp end leaving a beam as it becomes empty in the process of weaving is passed simultaneously but separately through' one of the second loops 'so' that it becomes engaged therein;

Allof the first named warpends are then stretched between the places atwhich' they archeld and the secon'dloops are thereby shortened and pulledout'of the" first loops until the end portions have been drawn through the first loops and bent to loop form'by the second loop's'which 'by thenha've disappearedfrom the warp ends but leave the said ends 'extending through the looped parts of the said last portions. ing is continued until the remaining'lo'ops are tight. The

result of the hereinbefore described manipulation of the-warp ends is that the warp ends of the two warps have become knotted together by weavers knots.

To facilitate the obtaining of a hold on all of the warp ends andenable the obtaining of the necessary hold thereon to be effected quickly, before they are" wound on the warp" beam,-tl1'e warp ends have. their starting extremities clipped together at spaced distances apart and after they are wound on the said beam, they have their finishing extremities clipped together at spaced distances apart, so that all the said extremities are positively retained in their correctly ordered posi-- tions after they havebeen removed from the beam and can be gripped simultaneously and easily preparatoryto the formation of the said loops on. some of the extremities and the threading of the other extremities at a'separate piecing operation through prepared loops.

An apparatus for performing the piecing process may have combs-adapted to grip a plurality of the warp ends, hook devices provided with spring, pivotal or sliding. latches and rods adapted together with a stepped comb to act on a plurality of warp ends of one of the warps to form loose loops having loose running; loops projecting through them and temporarily carried by the hook devices, a mechanism for thereupon engaging a plurality of wa'rp ends of another Warp with the hook devices, and operating the hook devices to draw theengaged ends through the second named loops, and a mechanism for pulling the first named ends to draw the ends through the first named loops in loop'form and tighten the first loops and thereby cause weavers knOtS:

to be'produced.

, In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate diagrammatically a novel apparatus with the aid of which the process can be performed- Figure 1 is a side view'in sectionof an apparatus for use in piecing the warp ends of a warp beamto the warp ends of another warp beam.

Figure} is a fragmentary plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary View in perspective illustrating steps in the process.

Figures 4 m9 are fragmentary further steps in the said process Referring to the drawings, in the construction shown diagrammatically in Figures 1 and 2, a frame 1, which is preferably portable has a grip comb 2 having a pair of arms 3 whereby it is pivotally connected at 4 to a pair of arms 5 mounted on a shaft 6 to rotate therewith The shaft 6 is rotatably mounted in the frame 1 and has a pair of arms 7 whereby it can be rotated. A roller 8 is mounted on each arm 7 and the two rollers 8 are acted on by a pair of cams 9 mounted on a shaft 10 which is rotatable in the frame 1 in the direction of the arrow shownin Figure 1 and has a handle (not shown) or other convenient means whereby. it can be rotated one revolution at-'a time,.with at least one dwell side views illustrating Patented Sept. 6, 1955 The stretch during the said revolution. The arms 3 are pivotally connected at 11 to a pair of pivotal links 12 which are also connected pivotally at 13 to a pair of hellcrank levers 14 which are mounted on a shaft 15 to rotate independently thereof. The shaft 15 is rotatably mounted in the frame 1. The levers 14 have rollers 111 through which they are operated by a pair of cams 119 mounted on shaft 10.

A grip comb 16 is parallel with the grip comb 2 and has a pair of arms 17 whereby it is pivotally connected at 18 to a pair of bell-crank levers 19 mounted on a shaft 95 and having rollers 20 acted on by a pair of cams 21 mounted on and rotating with the shaft 1'0. The comb 16 also has a pair of brackets 22 connected pivotally at 23 to pivotal links 24 connected at 25 to a pair of arms 26 having rollers 27 acted on by a pair of cams 28 mounted on and rotating with the shaft 18.

The parallel grip combs 2 and 16 can therefore be swung by the said cams towards and away from each other and can have the last extremity of each warp end of an exhausted warp engaged with them at two places spaced a distance apart. Figures 3 to 9 show by way of example one of the said extremities gripped and held at two spaced places by the grip combs 2 and 16. The said places do not vary throughout the whole process of piecing. The grip combs 2 and 16 are moved by the said cams backwards or forwards and towards and away from each other as is required in order to change the angle of the said extremity and slacken or tighten in the performance of the said process. In Figures l and 2, the combs 2 and 16 are shown open, namely in a non-gripping state. In the remaining figures they are shown closed, namely in a state in which they grip the extremity of each warp end.

There is a row of latch needles 29 which are slidable in slots in a stationary cross-member 30 of the frame 1. In each slot there is below each needle 29, a rod 31 which is slidable in the slot independently of the needle. Each needle has a lug 32 engaging a cross-slot 33 in a slide 34, so that sliding of the slide forwards or rearwards causes all the needles 29 to slide forwards or rearwards correspondingly. The needles are shown as pivotal latch needles, one latch being shown and marked 35. The latch needles may be similar to those used in knitting machinery. The latches, instead of being pivotal, may be sliding latches or spring latches. The slide 34 has a pair of lugs 36 whereby it is pivotally connected at 37 to a pair of pivotal links 38 which are, also connected pivotally at 39 to a pair of levers 40 which are oscillatable on shaft 15 and have rollers 41 acted on by a pair of cams 42 mounted on shaft 10.

All the rods 31 are connected together by a pivot rod 43 which is connected by a pair of pivotal links 4 3 to a pair of levers 4S oscillatable on the shaft 15 and having rollers 112 through which they are operated by a pair of cams 113 mounted on shaft 18. The rods 31, when in the position shown in Figure 1, operate jointly with the needles 29 to receive loops formed on the warp ends. When no longer in said position (see Figure 9), they leave the loops loose on the needles, with a loose: ness which reduces the amount of force required to draw the loop of the one warp end through the loop of another warp end.

A comb 46 each tooth 52 of which has a step 47 is arranged in front of the needles and is mounted on a shaft 48 which is slidable axially in the frame 1. The comb 46 is mounted by means of a pair of lugs 49 provided on the comb 46 and pivotally connected at St to a pair of arms 51 which are mounted on the shaft 48 to slide therewith and thereby impart sideways motions to the teeth 52 relative to the needles 29. The shaft 48 is also rotatable in the frame 1. A pair of bell-crank levers 53 are mounted on the shaft 48 so as to be free to rotate independently thereof and not to slide when the shaft slides. The levers 53 are pivotally connected by a pair of pivot pins fixed to the levers 53 but slidable in the lugs 49 and arms 51, and have rollers 54 acted on by a pair of cams 55 mounted on the shaft 10 to rotate therewith. The shaft 48 also has a pair of arms 56 mounted on it to be free to rotate independently thereof and not to slide with the said shaft. The arms 56 are connected pivotally at 57 to a pair of pivotal links 58 which are connected by a pair of pivot pins 59 to a pair of lugs 60 provided on the underside of the comb 46, the pivot pins being fixed to the lugs 60 but slidable in the links 59. The pair of arms 56 have rollers 61 acted on by a pair of cams 62.

All the parts acted on by the hereinbefore described cams are positively moved by the cams in one direction. The said parts are acted on by springs (not shown) or weights (not shown) which move them in reverse direction when permitted by the cams to do so. It is however to be understood that alternatively cams which move the parts positively in both directions may be provided.

The shaft 48 is displaced axially in one direction, to shift the .teeth 52 laterally relative to the needles 29, by an end cam 63 provided onshaft 10 and operating on the shaft 48 through a lever 64 pivoted at 71 to the frame 1 and having a roller 65 riding on the cam 63 and a fork 66 engaging loosely between flanges 67 and 68 on the shaft 48. The said shaft is displaced axially in reverse direction by an end cam 69 provided on shaft 10 and acting through a roller 70 on a lever 72 pivoted at 73 to the frame 1 and having a fork 74 loosely engaging between flanges 75 and 76 provided on the shaft 48. Alternatively, only one of the said end cams may be provided to slide the shaft 48 in one direction, and a spring be employed to slide the shaft 48 in reverse direction.

The teeth of the comb 2 are extended to produce a toothed lip 77. The teeth of the comb 16 are extended to form a toothed lip 78.

The process is carried out with the aid of the illustrated apparatus as follows:

Each warp end, indicated by 79 in Figures 3 to 9, is

engaged with a different tooth on the comb 2 and a registering tooth on the comb 16 so that it lies at the far side of the respective needle 29 and the two combs are closed A to grip the end, and the shaft 10 is rotated slightly to cause the comb 16 to descend slightly under the'combined action of, the earns 21 and 28 and thereby gently the far side to the near side of the needle beneath the said needle as indicated by the arrow 80 and thus push the end 79 laterally across the underside of the rod 31, then the earns 55 and 62 act to raise the tooth 52 as indicated by the arrow 81 and thus draw the end 79 in loop form up past the near side of the needle 29, then the cam 69 acts to shog the tooth 52 from the near side to the far side of the needle above the needle as indicated by the arrow 82 and then lower the tooth 52 at the far side of the needle as indicated by the arrow 83 to lay the end 79. across the upper side of'the needle, the comb 16 being simultaneously raised and lowered by the cams 21 and'28 in order to slacken and tighten the end 79 as the motions of the tooth 52 proceed and thereby avoid breakage of the end whilst avoiding unwanted slackness. When the tooth 52 has performed the said motions it has wrapped the end 79 one turn round the needle 29 and rod 31 just behind the hook and thereby produced a loop 86. The cams 42 and 113 then operate to shift the needle 29 and rod. 31 forwards as indicated by the arrows 84 and 85 until germ-1a the loop 86 oftheendlies behind.thelatchlifiasindh cated in Figure 4; Nowithecamsiiaridill'tl' actto dis, place the comb. 2 forwards aeind icated by the arrow 87 and the cams 21 and28 actto displacethecomb; 16 backwards as indicated by the. arrow 88, and the cams 55 and 62. act to raise and advance. the] tooth 52 as indicated by the arrow 89. so-that it lies atthe farside/of the end and then the cam.63"a ct s to. shog the tooth 52 rearwards by the cams 42;.as indicated'by. the arrow 94, whilst the rod 31 is retainedin engagement with the loop 86 and a loop. 96, until the parts are in-the position shown in Figure 6in which the needle 29"h'as drawn a part of the end 79through' theloop, 8.6 to. form the loop 96. The cams 42 then advance the needle 29 and the cams 113 advance the. rod, as indicatedfbythe arrow 97 to bring the loop 96, andfloop behind'the latch 35, as shown in Figure 7,. whilst keeping the rod31 engaged with the loops 8'61 and 96,.

The end 79' of the exhausted warp is nowreadyv for the introduction of thecorresponding end, marked 98 in Figure 7, ofthe new warp to be secured to it. The end 98, together with other ends of'the new warp, have been clipped in a clip comb 99 so that the said' ends are separated by the clip comb the teeth ofwhich are spaced apart equally to the spacing of the other combs and the needles. The clip comb is placed 'under the lip '78 of the comb 16; the: end 98 is taken upwards through a space between respective; adjacent needles at the far side of the needle 2 9andtlirough the respective gap in the lip 77"to. bear against a rod' -100flaid on the lip 77 of the comb 2, as shown in Figure 7. The'cams 55 and 62 then raise the tooth 52 and move it as indicated by the arrow 101 untilit is atthe far side of the end 98, whereupon the cam 63 sho gs the tooth while it is above the needle 29 from the far side to the near side of the. needle as indicated by the'arrow 102- so as tov push the end 98 across the needle between its hook and its latch 35., whereupon the cam 42' draws theneedle backwards as indicated by the arrow 103, after which the tooth 52 is caused by the cam 69 to be shogged in the direction ofthe arrowand is then allowed by cams 55 and 62 to -fall, asindicated by the arrow 105 back to its initial position. The rod 31 remains engaged with the loops 86 and 96. The end 98, after a portion of the backward movement of the needle 29, is released from the clip comb 99. At the end of the last named motions of the needle 29 and tooth 52, the parts are in the position shown in Figure 8 from which it will be observed that the released extremity of the end 98 has been drawn by the needle 29 past the loop 86 and through the loop 96 of the end 79 of the exhausted warp.

After the end 98 has thus been introduced through the loop 96, the rod 31 is drawn back by the cams until it is no longer engaged with the loop 86, and leaves the loop slack. Then the cams 9 and 110 raise the comb 2 as indicated by the arrow 106 whilst the cams 21 and 28 lower the comb 16 as indicated by the arrow 107 in order to draw tight the end 79 which is still held between combs 2 and 16 and in so doing, draw the loop 96 through the loop 86 and thereby cause the end 98 to be drawn into a loop 109 shown in Figure 9 and be thereby secured to the end 79 by what is a weavers knot as will be observed by the knot formation shown in a loosened form in Figure 9. Because the rod 31 ensures slackness of the loop 86 up to the drawing of the loop 96 through the loop. 86, the force requiredto pulLthe.

loop 96. through: the loop 86 is so slightthat the. warp end is not broken and the total efiort required to simul; taneously pull other similar loops through'still other sima ilar loops is not impossible or difiicult to exert; The rod'." is removed and the parts are alllrestoredto. the position shown: in Figure 1 ready for the nexttpiecingt of the ends .of an exhausted warp. to the ends of anew warp. For the sake of clearness the end 98 is shown hatched in the. drawings whilst the end' 79isshown nonhatched. The cams are rotated v the necessary singlerevolution to produce all the hereinbefore described'motions by rotating. the shaft 10 one revolution. The revolution is interrupted'for the purpose of'bringing, the

end 98 into the position shown in Figure '7 and sub sequently for the purpose of detaching. the clip" combl99 from the end 98.

Although the operation has been described with reference only to one end of each warp, it is to be understood that the apparatus has a plurality of necdles combtteeth', and rods so that a plurality ot ends of the new warp can be knotted singly to a corresponding pluralityv of ends of" an exhausted warp.

Where the warp is too wide to enable all the ends, to be pieced conveniently in one operation, the apparatus may be adapted to act in success-ion on parts. of th Wail each consisting of a plurality of the warp ends. To. facilitate the application of'the warpends to the combs 2 and 16, the extremities of each warp are pref crably provided during. beaming of the warp witha clip comb, such as the comb 99, adapted to. securev the ends in the correct order and spacing andhavinga guard such as the guard 108, Figure 7,.which. guards the warp from.

the ends of the teeth of 'the clip comb. The. extremitiesof the warp can then be handled and applied with facility and expeditiously to the combs- 2'and 16 0f the hereinbefore described piecing apparatus.

I claim:

1. A process of piecing the warp endsof a warp beam to the warp. ends of another warp beam, consisting in simultaneously forming on each of a plurality of the warp.

ends of the one warp beam an untightened loopand an untightened loop. extending through the. first named 'loop, then. threading. a different warp end of the other warp.

' beamv through each of the first named loops andithereupon tightening each of the first named warp. ends so as to draw each of the first named loops through the second named loop and. also draw the threaded warp, end

through the second named loop into a loop form and" finally to tighten the remaining loop, all for producing.

weavers knots which connect warp ends of the said warp beam to. the warpends of .the saidother warp. beam.

2. A process of piecing the warp ends of a' warp beam to the warp ends of another warp beam, consisting in preparing the warp ends for piecing by securing their extremities side by side in orderly sequence and spacing, warping the beam ends, then securing the finishing extremities of the warp ends side by side in orderly sequence and spacing, and then, subsequently to the exhaustion of the one warp beam, simultaneously forming 'on each of a plurality of the warp ends of the one warp beam an untightened loop and an untightened loop extending through the first named loop, then threading a different warp end of the other warp beam through each of the first named loops and thereupon tightening each of the first named warp ends so as to draw each of the first named loops through the second named loop and also draw the threaded warp end through the second named loop into a loop form and finally to tighten the remaining loop, all for producing weavers knots which connect warp ends of the said warp beam to the warp ends of the said other warp beam.

3. A process of piecing the warp ends of a warp beam to the warp ends of another warp beam, consisting in holding each of a plurality of warp ends at two spaced places, simultaneously forming on each of the said warp ends an untightened loop and an untightened loop extending through the first named loop, then threading a difierent warp end of the other warp beam through each of the first named loops and thereupon stretching each of the first named warp ends between the places at which it is held for shortening and pulling out of the first loop until the warp end threaded through the second loop has been drawn through the first loop and bent into loop form due to the stretching of the first named warp end, and finally continuing the stretching until the loops now present are tight.

4. A process of piecing the warp ends: of one warp beam to the warp ends of a second warp beam, consisting in clipping the starting extremities of the warp ends of the second beam together in regular order, prior to the beaming of the said warp ends, thereupon beaming the said warp ends, beaming the warp ends of the second named beam, clipping the ending extremities of the warp ends of the first named beam together in regular order, using the second named beam for weaving until its clipped-together extremities become accessible, holding each end of a plurality of warp ends of the first named warp beam at two spaced places, simultaneously forming on each of the said ends of the first warp beam an untightened loop and an untightened loop extending through the first named loop, then threading a diiferent end of a plurality of the warp ends of the second beam through each of the first named loops and thereupon stretching each of the said ends of the first named warp beam between the places at which it is held for shortening the second loop and drawing the said second loop out of the first loop and thereby drawing the threaded end portion through the first loop and bending it into loop form and for tightening the loops which then remain and thereby piecing the said warp ends together.

5. An apparatus for piecing by means of weavers knots the warp ends of a first warp beam to the warp ends of a second warp beam, comprising movable but non-rotatable hooked needles, movable latches on the said needles, a movable member for moving the warp ends laterally of the said needles, means for holding warp ends of the first warp beam at two places spaced a distance apart while the needles engage the warp ends of the first warp beam between the two places, means for holding the warp ends of the said second warp beam at two places spaced a distance apart while the needles engage the warp ends of the said second warp beam subsequently to engagement with the warp ends of the first warp beam, and mechanism for changing the distance apart of the last named two means.

6. An apparatus for piecing by weavers knots the warp for sliding said hooks, movable latches on said hooks, rods co-operating with said hooks for producing looseness, a comb movable towards and away from the hooks and also laterally of the'hooks for causing warp ends to extend across the hooks, means for moving the said comb, means for holding warp ends of the second warp beam accessible to said hooks and last named comb subsequent to the operation of the hooks and comb on the warp ends of the first warp beam, and means for separating the two first named combs and thereby stretching warp ends of the first warp beam between them.

7. An apparatus for piecing by means of weavers knots the warp ends of a first warp beam to the warp ends of a second warp beam comprising in combination gripping combs independently movable to and fro for gripping simultaneously the warp ends of the first warp beam at two separate places, a shogging comb independently movable upwards and downwards and laterally to and fro for intermittent engagement with and lateral displacement in two directions of the warp ends of the first warp beam between the two separate places, non-rotatable hooks movable longitudinally to and fro between the gripping combs and rods movable in the same direction as the hook but independently thereof, the said hooks and rods being for the formation thereon of loops only in the warp ends of the first warp beam, latches on the hooks for slipping some of the loops over others, means on the gripping combs for temporarily holding the warp ends of the second warp beam at two separate places after production of the loops on the warp ends of the first warp beam, the hooks also be ing for engaging and drawing the warp ends of the second warp beam through some of the previously formed loops and the shogging comb also being for causing engagement of the warp ends of the second warp beam after the for- {nation and casting off of some of the loops from the 100 s.

References Cited in the file of this patent I UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,779,312 Hammer Oct. 21, 1930 2,011,115 Peterson Aug. 13, 1935 2,269,757 Davis Jan. 13, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 17,744 Great Britain of 1893 17,866 7 Great Britain July 27, 1910 

